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VOLUME 2 - NUMBER 3 - 2025

Sperm handling during ART: effect of concentration and two different temperatures on sperm quality

  • Anna Merolla, Riccardo Talevi, Vincenza Barbato, Vincenzo Genovese, Angela Travaglione, Andrea Candela, Mario Cimmino, Vincenza De Gregorio, Roberto Gualtieri
  • Original Article, 25-29
  • Full text PDF

  • Human semen may have a variable degree of sperm DNA fragmentation. Moreover, sperm handling during ART can increase the basal sperm DNA fragmentation and this has been correlated to oxidative stress (OS). As sperm DNA fragmentation and OS may result in poor fertilization, embryo development and even exert long term effects on newborns, it is fundamental to understand the factors that can add a iatrogenic damage to sperm during ART. The main aims of the present study were to assess the effect of two different temperatures, room temperature and 37°C, on motility, viability, oxidative DNA damage and DNA fragmentation on human spermatozoa selected or not with swim up. Moreover, we evaluated if sperm concentration affects the motility, viability and DNA fragmentation of human sperm. Sperm macroscopic and microscopic features were analyzed in 25 patients. Experiment I: semen samples incubated 1h at RT or 37°C. Experiment II: swim up samples incubated 3h at RT or 37°C. Experiment III: washed samples incubated 3h at 37°C at different sperm concentrations (RANGE: 1, 100-75; 2, 50-35; 3, 25-15; 4, 10-5 x106). Our data indicate that viability and DNA integrity of semen or swim-up samples were better preserved at RT versus 37°C. Oxidative DNA damage was higher in semen storage at 37°C than semen storage at RT, but no significant differences were observed in swim-up samples. Washed sperm were better preserved at low concentration..

  • KEY WORDS: Handling, spermatozoa, temperature, oxidative stress, concentration.